Railroad-crossing.



T. l. OCONNOR & W. W. CULBERTSON.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, l9l8.

Patented Mar. 18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I .N' VENTOR.

WITNESSES:

-T. J. OCO NNOR & W. W. CULBERTSON.

- RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. X8 918.

1 ,297,721 Patented Mar. 18, 1919. v

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- WITNESSES: INVENTOR 7TJ. O Connor W W. Culbertson gf/ m B I ATTORNEY T. J. OCONNOR (SI W. W. CULBERTSON. RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. 1913. 1,297,721. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

. BSIIEE'TS-sIIEET 3- INVENTOR I TJ. O Connor W. W Culberfson W A TTORNE Y WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

THOMAS J. OCONNOR, 01? DALLAS, AND WARREN W. CULBERTSON, OF BOYCE, TEXAS.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed February 18. 1918. Serial N 0. 217,822.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS J. OCoNNoR and WARREN W. GULBER'rsoN, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas and Boyce, in the counties of Dallas and Ellis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in railroad crossings.

Considerable diiliculty has been experienced in the production and maintenance of railroad crossings and the life of the same is more or less limited according to the traffic, and further there is considerable objection due to the noise made by the wheels as they pass over the gaps.

We propose to eliminate these objectionable features and to do so in a novel man ner. The invention contemplates both a noiseless and a long lived crossing, which will give a maximum wear and ;will prolong the life of the rolling stock by obviating the jar and vibration incidental to the usual crossing and further whereby the foundation of the crossing will be more easily maintained and require less repairing than is necessary where such foundation is subjected to severe shock and vibration.

In carrying out the invention movable members are provided at the intersections and so arranged as to form a continuous tread for the wheels of the train passing over the crossing. These members are automatically controlled so that when operated to open the line over ;which the train is about to cross the members of the cross line will be closed, thus closing the gap which would otherwise be made by the wheel-flange gaps of the crossing rails, the arts occupying this position until the tra c is opened up on the cross line. It is also proposed to construct these movable members so that if the automati connections fail to operate the flanges of the wheels will operate said members thus eliminating derailing.

In a more specific embodiment of the invention laterally movable angular rail members are arranged at each intersection, and these constitute the guard rails for one line and act when displaced toward their component trafii-c rails to fill or close the gaps in the trafiic rails of the crossing line so that the trafiic rails of the crossing line are made continuous. It is obvious that there will be two pairs of these members for each line and it is proposed to so connect these that when one pair in a line is operated the other pair in the same line will be automatically operated and at the same time the members of the crossing line will be operated.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompany ing drawings, in which an example of the invention is illustrated, and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a crossing constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional detail view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in plan of one of the intersections, and

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a modified form of crossing.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates one line or track and 2 the crossing line or track. It is evident that the tracks may cross each other at various angles, but as the greater number of crossings are at right angles we will first describe the invention as applied to such a crossing. Track 1 comprises two trafiic rails, each comprising sections 3, 4 and 5; while track 2 comprises two traflic rails each also comprising three sections 6, 7 and 8, which are counterparts of the corresponding sections of the other track, .whereby the sections are interchangeable. At the center of the crossing guard rails 9 are disposed parallel with sections 4 and at right angles to guard rails 10 which are parallel with sections 7. Longitudin'ally of the sections 3, 5, 6 and 8 respectively laterally displaceable angular guard members 11, 12, 13 and 14: are disposed. A description of one of these members will be suflicient for all. Each member has a laterally directed wing 15 which is disposed at such an angle that it may be swung into contact with the chamfered or tapered end 16 of the ad jacent section of the traffic rail of the cross" ing line. The wing 15 extends at an angle from a head portion 17 joined on to the guard rail portion of said member and 0ccupies the space between the chamfered end of the trafiic rail section and the end of the adjacent trafiic rail section of the same track. The member as stated is capable of lateral movement whereby its head portion may be swung to close the gap in the crossing track. The member is suitably pivoted at 18 and carries stop lugs 19 confined in keepers 20 which limit the displacement of said memher away from the traflio rail section of its line. All of the parts described are mounted on crossing plates 21 suitably supported on ties or other foundation.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the angular guard rail members 11 and 12 are swung over against the trafiic rail sections 3 and 5 respectively, whereby the wings 15 are in contact with the chamfered ends 16 of the traflic rail sections 7 of the crossing track or line 2; while the heads 17 close the gaps between the ends 16 and the adjacent trafiic rail sections 6 and 8. From this it will be seen that the traffic rails of the line 2 are continuous and unbroken so that the wheels of a train in passing over the crossing on track 2 will have a continuous rail and will not be subjected to the jar and vibration which would be encountered in the usual crossing where wheel flange gaps are left in the traffic rails of line 2 for the wheels passing over the rails of track 1. Again referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the anguhr guard rail members 13 and 14 respectively are swung away from the traflic rail sections 6 and 8 and against their keepers 20 so as to be moved out of the path of the wheel-flanges of the train using track 2.

With the parts in this position track 2 is open for traffic approaching the crossing in either direction while track 1 is closed. It is apparent that when it is desired to open track 1 for trafiic the angular guard rail members must be adjusted so as to close track 2 and bridge the gaps in the traffic rails of track 1. It will be seen that the flanges of wheels approaching the members 11 or 12 of the track 1 will displace said members inward upon coming in contact with the same and it is obvious that by properly connecting all of the said angular members they may be automatically and simultaneously adjusted. For instance if the members 11 are acted upon and displaced inward the connections would be such as to also move the members 12 inward and vice versa. At the same time the members 13' and 14 would be swung outward, reference being had to the center of the track. This operation would be reversed if the approach was made on track 2 and the same was closed.

As an example of connections for automatically shifting the angular guard rail members we have shown each pair of guard members provided with bell crank levers 22 and 23 respectively. Each lever is linked to the end of a guard rail member at one end, while the opposite end of each lever 22 is connected with the opposite end of its companion lever 23 by a link 24. The ends of the levers connected by the link 24 form with the said link a toggle-joint so that each pair of levers are swung toward each other or away from each other when operated,

whereby the wings 15 of each pair of angular guard rail members are swung toward each other or away from each other when their toggle-joint is operated. Each lever 23 has an arm 25 whlch is pivoted at its outer end to the end of the .pitman 26 eX- tending at substantially right angles thereto. Each vpitman has connection with a bell crank lever 27.

It will be seen that there are four toggle-- joints each connected with the other by means of the parts 25, 26 and 27 andarranged to operate simultaneously. It is pointed out, however, that the toggle-joints for operating the members of onetrack are reversely connected with relation to the toggle-joints for the other track, whereby the operation of the joints of one track will be opposite to those of the other track. This is accomplished by reversing the disposition of the short legs of the correspondin levers of the two tracks as is clearly illustrated. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the short legs of the levers 22 of the track 1 are directed relatively inward or toward the center of the crossing, whereas the short legs of the levers 22 of the track 2 are directed relatively outward or away from the center of the crossing and the same relative disposition is true of the levers 23.

As before stated it is evident that the angles of crossings vary and in Fig, 4 we have shown tracks crossing each other at several degrees of]? of a right angle, and the only difference in this and the right angular crossing lies in the particular formation of the parts, the operation and principle being the same. It is obvious that variations would be necessary for crossings at different angles. However the angular guard members in the form illustrated in the Fig. 4 just referred to are slidable instead of being pivoted. This is necessary on account of the acute and obtuse angles incidental to the crossing. Inthe said Fig. 4 we have also shown tracks 1 and 2, and we have shown track 1 as having traffic rails comprising sections 3, 4, and 5 and track 2 as having .traflic rails comprising sections 6, 7 and 8 while the track 1 has angular guard rail members 11, and 12, 13, and 14. The track 1 has guard rails 9 and the track 2 guard rails 10. The parts are numbered so as to show their analogy to the similar parts of Fig. 1. As shown in the Fig. 4- track 1 is closed and track 2 is open. The intermediate trafiic rail sections also have chamfered ends 16, and the angular guard rail members also have wings 15, stop lugs 19- working in keepers 20".' It is pointed out that the angular guard rail members will necessarily have different shapes but they are generic in construction. Each of said members abuts a fixed guard rail section 30 and is arranged to slide transversely of the same toward and away from its adjacent traffic rail section. Each member carries a rail arm 31 having spring pressed connection at 32 with the adjacent rail 30, so that when said member is displaced from its adjacent rail section it is moved against the tension of said spring device which acts to return the member when said member is released.

From the outer end of the wing 15 of each angular member a pivoted link 33 extends and is pivoted on a crossing plate 31 as shown. The function of these links is to guide and swing the wings so that they will aline with the chamfered ends 16. The same form of connections for operating the angular guard rail members are used in this crossing as are employed for the crossing shown in Fig. 1, and comprise parts 22, 23', 24;, 25, 26 and 27 which correspond to the similar parts in Fig. 1. A detailed explanation of the same together with their operation is considered unnecessary.

As a safety feature the corner at the outside angle of each angular guard rail member is beveled as indicated at 35 and should the toggle-joint connections fail to operate it is obvious that the wheel-flanges will strike these beveled portions and displace the members thus preventing derailment. This is a very important feature and reduces the liability of accident.

The foregoing description and illustration clearly express the invention, but it is to be understood that said illustration is merely an exemplification and the invention may be carried out in various other ways.

What we claim; is,

1. In a railroad crossing, traflic rails crossing each other at an angle, each rail comprising approaching sections with an intermediate section therebetween having chamfered ends and gaps between the ends of the intermediate section and the ap' proaching sections, angular guard members each having one wing between one of the approaching rail sections and the correlated chamfered end of its intermediate section, said member being movable from its approaching rail section to provide a wheel flange gap therebetween for the crossing rail, the other wing of each member constituting a guard rail along the approaching section of the crossing rail, and a central guard rail parallel with each intermediate rail section and projecting beyond the chamfered ends of the same and opposite the wings of the movable guard members at the ends of said intermediate rail section, the central guard rails having their ends joined together, all of the rails sections, guard .rails and movable guard members being formed of standard T-shaped rails, one of the other wing of each member constituting a guard rail along the approaching rail section of the crossing rail, the guard members being arranged 1n palrs at each lntersection of the crossing ralls and one of the members of each pair being normally spaced from the approaching rail for which it forms a guard, whilesthe other is bridging the gap between said approaching rail section and the ends of its correlated intermediate section, said members being movable to reverse their disposition with relation to the approaching rail sections, and a common operating means connected with all of the movable guard members arranged to move one member of each pair to close the gap and the other to open it.

3. In a railroad crossing, traific rails crossing each other at an angle, each rail comprising approaching sections with an intermediate section therebetween having chamfered ends and gaps between the ends of the intermediate section and the approaching sections, angular guard members each having one wing between one of the approaching rail sections, and the correlated chamfered end of its intermediate section, the other wing of each member constituting a guard rail along the. approaching rail section of the crossing rail, the guard members being arranged in pairs at each intersection of the crossing rails and one of the members of each pair being normally spaced from the approaching rail for which it forms a guard, while the other is bridging the gap between said approaching rail section and the ends of its correlated intermediate section, said members being movable to reverse their disposition with relation to the approaching rail sections, lever connections between adjacent pairs of movable guard members, an operating element for each set of lever connections, and a' prime mover connected in common with all of the operating elements.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

THOMAS J. OCONNOR. WARREN W. CULBERTSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

